IF (2024) Paramount/Fantasy-Comedy RT: 104 minutes Rated PG (thematic elements, mild language) Director: John Krasinski Screenplay: John Krasinski Music: Michael Giacchino Cinematography: Janusz Kaminski Release date: May 17, 2024 (US) Cast: Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Alan Kim, Liza Colon-Zayas, Bobby Moynihan, Catharine Daddario, Audrey Hoffman. Voice Cast: Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Emily Blunt, Awkwafina, George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, Matt Damon, Bill Hader, Richard Jenkins, Keegan-Michael Key, Blake Lively, Sebastian Maniscalco, Christopher Meloni, Matthew Rhys, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Amy Schumer, Allyson Seeger, Jon Stewart, Brad Pitt.
Rating: ***
IF has got to be one of the strangest mainstream movies I’ve ever seen.
Perhaps I ought to qualify this remark. It’s not strange in the same sense as a David Lynch film like Lost Highway. It’s surreal in a completely different way. It takes place in New York, but it’s not the New York we all know and fear. It’s a New York where a 12YO girl can walk to a store alone at night without being mugged or molested. I’m guessing that IF takes place in some alternate universe as it’s the most logical explanation of the illogical things that happen in the new fantasy-comedy from writer-director John Krasinski (A Quiet Place 1 & 2).
The aforementioned preteen Bea (Fleming, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) goes to stay with her grandmother Margaret (Shaw, best known as Harry Potter’s mean Aunt Petunia) while her father (Krasinski) is the hospital. It’s only been a few years since her mother died of cancer and now she’s facing the possible loss of her dad. As such, she’s already put away childish things. She no longer sees herself as a kid, something she’s quite vocal about.
During her unauthorized nocturnal excursion, she spots a strange creature and follows it to the apartment of her weird upstairs neighbor Cal (Reynolds, Deadpool). She soon learns she shares something in common with Cal; they both possess the ability to see and communicate with IFs (Imaginary Friends). Cal’s job is to rehome IFs after their original owners have outgrown them. Bea reluctantly agrees to help him. It’s not as easy as it sounds because the IF and the child have to be compatible. Predictably, Bea’s new job puts her on the road to rediscovering her inner child.
The IFs are a colorful and interesting bunch. The one the plot concerns itself with most is a big, goofy, purple monster named Blue (Carrell, Gru from the Despicable Me movies). There’s also Blossom (Bridge, Fleabag), a humanoid butterfly who loves to serve tea, and my favorite, an elderly teddy bear named Lewis. He’s voiced by the recently deceased Louis Gossett Jr. (An Officer and a Gentleman) in one of his final roles. He runs a retirement home for IFs located under Coney Island. There’s a great sequence where he encourages Bea to redesign the place using her imagination. It leads to an energetic dance number set to Tina Turner’s “Better Be Good to Me”.
I know IF is a fantasy and by nature, it’s not supposed to be realistic. However, there are a few things I just can’t get my mind around. At the top of the list is the grandmother. She’s supposed to be watching the kid, but it would appear she’s sleeping on the job or something. What responsible adult would let a child in her care run around the city with a grown man, a stranger no less? SPOILER ALERT! Now if you’ve seen the movie, then you know this is answered by the surprise twist that really isn’t all that surprising if you’ve been paying attention. Still, it’s an issue that will bother many a parent watching IF with their own kids.
That leads to my next question; who exactly is IF for? It’s being marketed as a family movie and while there’s nothing inappropriate in it per se, I’m wondering if little kids will understand it. I’m pretty sure they’ll get the part about finding new kids for forgotten IFs, but what about when the plot switches things up? When rehoming IFs doesn’t work out, Cal and Bea decide to try and reconnect the IFs with their former owners. That requires making the now-adults remember their childhood IFs. Will the little ones get it? It’s hard to say.
The good thing is IF is colorful and lively. Also, the various IFs are pretty cool. Krasinski gets that part right. It’s an effective mix of decent CGI and solid voice talents like Emily Blunt (as a unicorn), George Clooney (as a spaceman), Christopher Meloni (as a detective) and Amy Schumer (as a red gummy bear). I had some fun trying to put the voices to the characters.
Fleming is an engaging young actress. Her character is surprisingly (and relatively) complex for a silly early summer movie. Bea is avoiding grief by assuming the role of a grown up. It’s only a matter of time before she’ll be forced to deal with it. Fleming does a good job with the role. Ryan Reynolds, on the other hand, plays Ryan Reynolds (sans f-words, of course). He’s the same in every movie. Here, it serves him well.
Overall, I enjoyed IF. Yes, it’s uneven and isn’t sure of its audience. However, it is surprisingly moving at the end. I was surprised to find myself so emotionally invested in such a silly movie. I doubt it will attain blockbuster status, but it’s not a terrible choice for a family outing to the movies. It beats watching Kung Fu Panda 4 again.
